state dinner

Trudeau, seen here with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on March 10, has brought a sense of cool to his position as prime minister of Canada. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

For nearly two decades, no Canadian leader made an official Washington visit -- and no American really noticed. How the situation has changed. When Canada’s new youthful prime minister, Justin Trudeau, spends Thursday in D.C., at appearances that include a state dinner, Washington will be watching every move the 44-year-old liberal politician makes.

Trudeau, elected last year in a rout of Canada's Conservative Party leaders, will be feted with all the pageantry the White House can muster.